Main

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The deaf community in Namibia is calling for greater inclusion and access to information during election campaigns. Paul Nanyeni, the national executive director of the Namibian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD), said, despite promises of inclusivity from political parties, deaf voters have struggled to participate fully due to the lack of sign language interpreters at rallies and the failure to translate manifestos into Namibian Sign Language. Nanyeni brought attention to these issues, pointing out that the deaf community frequently misses out on important campaign discussions. “There are no sign language interpreters at gatherings, and the deaf do…

Martin Endjala Acute water shortages are hitting more villages nationwide due to deteriorating critical infrastructure and poor maintenance. Climate change and drought have exacerbated the situation in some areas. However, in the Omusati region, where there is plenty of water, farmers have found themselves without it for months. They say this has led to dying gardens. Communal farmer Tarah Shaanika, who lives in the Etilyasa village of the Omusati region, expressed his frustration about the water crisis with the Windhoek Observer on Monday. “Our plants are dead due to a lack of water. Why do I have a feeling that…

Martin Endjala Panduleni Itula, the leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), denied that the party expelled its vice president and also refuted rumours regarding such a meeting ever taking place. This follows reports that suggest that the party's vice president, Trevino Forbes, who currently serves as the mayor of Walvis Bay, faces possible expulsion after allegedly going on official trips without the town council's approval. “We have an unwavering high regard and respect for our vice president and his respect for the Rule of Law. No consideration, complaint, or meeting was ever held in any of the IPC's…

CHAMWE KAIRA South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has accused foreign funded groups of blocking development in South Africa and hiding behind protecting the environment. “Shell was harassed out of the seismic survey in the East Coast, and they left. They went to Namibia made huge discoveries of oil next door, and there was no demonstration there. That discovery is generating an income for Namibia. We can't touch our oil and gas,” he said. He was speaking at the ‘Investing in African Energy’ conference held in Cape Town. Namibia has become an oil exploration hotspot after…

Hertta-Maria Amutenya Investigative journalist Sonja Smith, who made it to the list of National Assembly candidates of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) for 2025-2029, is not a card-carrying member of the party. Smith is one of PDM president McHenry Venaani's ten presidential nominees. The party secretary general, Manuel Ngaringombe, confirmed this to the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday. "Sonja is not a member of the party. She was a journalist and then she got a job through parliament to be the personal assistant to McHenry Venaani as a civil servant. She is on the parliament payroll. Working as a PA, she…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja Political analysts have voiced concerns over the increasing trend of journalists entering politics, following the recent appointments of Sonja Smith to the Popular Democratic Movement's (PDM) parliamentary list and Julia Nekwaya to the PDM National Executive Committee for 2024-2029. Smith is an investigative journalist with The Namibian newspaper. She has been juggling two jobs, her main occupation as a journalist and her second job as the personal assistant to the PDM’s president, McHenry Venaani. She is number eleven on the party’s parliamentary list. Julia Nekwaya, previously a journalist at The Namibian and Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), is number…

Hertta-Maria Amutenja The Nursing Council of Namibia has issued new directives aimed at addressing growing concerns over the quality of nursing and midwifery training in the country, effective from 1 October 2024. The directives are in response to the rapid increase in nursing and midwifery educational institutions, which has surpassed the capacity of approved training hospitals and health facilities. The council’s chief executive officer, Cornelius Weyulu, said this has negatively affected nursing and midwifery training and compromised patient safety. “This contributed to the high unemployment rate among nursing and midwifery graduates,” said Weyulu. The council has capped student intakes at…

Stefanus Nashama The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) faces criticism over claims that it bypassed the public procurement process for the printing of ballot papers for the November 2024 elections. The Affirmative Repositioning movement’s (AR) leader, Job Amupanda and the Landless People's Movement’s (LPM) leader, Bernadus Swartbooi questioned the transparency of the tendering process while at the same time, accusing the ECN of secretly favouring Swapo-affiliated companies. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Commission met with the members of the Political Party Liaison Committee to provide an update on the procurement process for the printing of ballot papers for the 2024…